Broken Hearts Read Free Page A

hummingbird!” Rachel called from up ahead, pointing to a low shrub.
    Her voice shook Melissa from her thoughts. She turned her eyes to the blue-green blur buzzing above the shrub, its wings fluttering so fast she could barely get the bird in focus.
    â€œIt’s so tiny. It looks like an insect!” Josie called.
    As if insulted by Josie’s remark, the hummingbird raised itself up and darted silently away.
    The woods suddenly ended and in a flash of harsh afternoon sunlight, the girls found themselves back on flat grassland. The path straightened out and grew wider as it completed its circuit back toward the riding stable.
    Melissa saw Rachel, far ahead, yank hard on her reins. “Whoa!” she was calling. “Hey, slow down, horse!”
    Rachel turned back to her companions, a troubled expression on her face, her mane of red hair streamingbehind her. “I can’t make him slow down!” she cried, alarmed.
    â€œJust keep pulling back on the reins!” Melissa advised, shouting over the thudding of the horses’ hooves.
    â€œWhoa! Whoa!”
    The dog seemed to appear from out of nowhere. It was a large gray dog, a shepherd of some kind. It ran right in front of Rachel’s horse.
    Melissa didn’t see it until Rachel’s horse reared up. The horse whinnied in alarm, a hideous, terrifying sound.
    It reared up on its hind legs, then quickly lowered its front hooves, dropping its head.
    As it came down, Melissa saw Rachel’s saddle fly off.
    She and Josie both screamed as the saddle flew over the horse’s head. Rachel, her arms thrashing the air in frantic surprise, flew with it.
    And as the horse’s front hooves came back to earth, Rachel hit the ground with a sickening crack.
    The dog began to bark ferociously.
    The horse whinnied again, its eyes wide with fear, its nostrils flaring as it took off for the barn.
    Rachel lay sprawled facedown on the path. She didn’t move.
    â€œShe landed on her head!” Josie shrieked. “Melissa, Rachel landed on her head!”
    â€œJosie!” Melissa cried, gasping for breath, struggling to keep her horse steady, the ground tilting up around her. “Josie, go get help! Go to the stable! Get help!”
    Josie didn’t react. She stared down at Rachel’s unmoving body.
    â€œJosie! Get help!”
    But Josie didn’t seem to hear Melissa.
    â€œShe landed on her head!” Josie repeated, her dark eyes wide with horror. “She landed on her head! She landed on her head!”

Chapter 1

A SURPRISE IN
THE MAIL
    â€œW hoa!”
    Melissa could feel the horse thundering beneath her.
    It felt so solid, so massive, so strong. The hoofbeats thundered through the darkness. The horse was galloping out of control.
    Out of control.
    She could feel its muscles flex, hear its loud, steady breathing. She could feel its warmth, its heavy sweat.
    â€œWhoa! Please!”
    Through the darkness. Out of control.
    She couldn’t stop it.
    Faster it galloped.
    She leaned forward, her jet black hair flying behind her, and wrapped her arms around its neck.
    â€œWhoa! Please, whoa!”
    Holding on tightly, so tightly she could feel the blood pulsing through the horse’s veins, feel it swallow, feel it gulp air as it surged through the night.
    â€œHelp me! Somebody, help me!” Melissa screamed.
    She lay against the animal’s neck, leaning into its solid weight as she bounced wildly, frantically.
    Out of control.
    â€œHelp me, somebody! I’m going to fall!”
    Through the hot darkness.
    She could hear each breath the horse took, each pulse of its heart, each thud of its hooves.
    â€œHelp me! Help me!”
    She could still feel the horse galloping and its banging heartbeats as someone shook her and called her name.
    â€œMelissa, wake up!”
    But the horse wouldn’t stop.
    Even as someone called Melissa’s name and tried to shake her awake, the horse wouldn’t stop.
    Then